Chapter 46: Argument

The exact moment the car pulled to a halt at the entrance of the hospital, Yu Xi scrambled out of the vehicle with impatient haste.

Because he was in too much of a rush, his foot slipped on the uneven pavement, nearly causing him to take a severe spill and scaring the daylights out of Sheng Yunshu and Sheng Yunjuan.

Sheng Yunshu rushed forward to support him, speaking in a warm, soothing tone, “Don’t be in such a rush. He placed the phone call himself, so there shouldn’t be anything seriously wrong.”

“Mm…”

The absolute instant he received the news, Yu Xi felt the blood throughout his entire body run completely cold, breaking into a layer of cold sweat all the way here. Even with Sheng Yunshu’s comforting words, he simply couldn’t calm his racing thoughts, locating the inpatient ward without slowing down for a single moment.

When they burst across the threshold of the room, Zhang Xingkuo was right in the middle of a phone call: “Coach, I’m totally fine—”

Catching sight of Yu Xi’s arrival mid-sentence, he hung up the phone with lightning speed and dove straight back down onto the mattress. Yet because his movements were far too abrupt, the sudden shift aggravated the wound on his head, causing him to suck in a sharp breath of air.

Beholding this spectacle, Sheng Yunjuan and Sheng Yunshu instantly understood what was happening. Exchanging a knowing look, they slowed their footsteps, no longer showing any signs of urgency.

Only Yu Xi marched toward the side of the hospital bed at the first opportunity, his eye sockets turning red as he stared at Zhang Xingkuo. “Xing… Xingxing, where exactly did you get hurt?”

“So many places.” Zhang Xingkuo adopted an expression of utter grievance, yanking up his patient uniform to show Yu Xi. “Look here, here, and over here—it’s all over my body. The most severe part is my head; I’m so dizzy.”

As he spoke, he caught hold of Yu Xi’s hand, leaning his head close toward the youth.

Zhang Xingkuo possessed a handsome, sharp appearance with thick brows and large eyes. Whenever he assumed a pitiful expression with the outer corners of his eyes drooping down, he resembled a giant, pleading dog, making it incredibly difficult for anyone to steel their heart against him.

What’s more, seeing the array of bruises scattered across his frame alongside the thick layers of gauze wrapped around his head only made Yu Xi’s heart ache with intense worry. He carefully touched the edge of the man’s forehead. “How did you end up like this?”

Taking advantage of the momentum, Zhang Xingkuo wrapped his arms around Yu Xi’s waist, pressing his head flush against Yu Xi’s stomach as he muttered, “I was practicing on the track today and accidentally crashed.”

“His hide is thick enough.” Sheng Yunjuan walked forward, delivering a sharp poke right against a bruise on Zhang Xingkuo’s arm. “He won’t die.”

Instinctively, Zhang Xingkuo bared his teeth and boggled his eyes at the interfering Sheng Yunjuan, but mid-expression he snapped back to reality, hastily letting out a sharp hiss to paint a picture of intense agony.

Yu Xi: “?”

Detecting a slight hint of abnormality, Yu Xi blinked his eyes as he fell into silent contemplation.

Zhang Xingkuo rolled his eyes around as he spoke, “The doctor said I need to stay bedridden for half a month. There’s a risk of a concussion, so I can’t move around recklessly. I need someone to take care of me, Xiao Xi…”

Just then, Sheng Yunshu fished out her phone. “I’ll place a call to your mother.”

Zhang Xingkuo’s expression shifted instantly. Before his words of protest could leave his mouth, the door to the room was pushed open once more.

A well-maintained woman, unable to conceal her frantic anxiety, completely abandoned her usual elegance as she threw herself toward the edge of the bed, launching into a continuous string of questions regarding Zhang Xingkuo’s condition.

Zhang Xingkuo was caught off guard. “No, Mom, why did you come here? Did my coach tell you guys?”

“You got into such a major accident, how could we possibly not come!” Cutting into the conversation was a middle-aged man dressed in a crisp, sharp suit. His facial features were exceptionally stern, his brows knitted tightly together as he stared down at Zhang Xingkuo.

Standing to the side, Yu Xi was a beat slow in recognizing that this was Zhang Xingkuo’s father.

Twelve years had elapsed, and this man who anchored the entire Zhang family had aged significantly. Even so, he still exuded a dominant, imposing aura, remaining entirely unsmiling. Deep lines resembling the character for “river”  were permanently etched between his brows, naturally carrying an authoritative gravity that left people feeling utterly daunted.

Ever since he was a child, Yu Xi had always harbored a mixture of deep respect and absolute fear toward this uncle, never daring to say a single word beyond a standard greeting. Seeing him again after such a long separation, he instinctively felt a wave of tension washing over him.

The moment the elder Zhang materialized, the atmosphere inside the room shifted drastically.

Zhang Xingkuo’s expression also turned cold and rigid. Letting out a icy huff, he leaned his back against the headboard. “Since when have you ever cared about me?”

The elder Zhang’s temper was instantly ignited by the spark. “I don’t care about you?! If I didn’t care about you, would I have advised you so many times not to race cars, not to race cars?! Yet you stubbornly refuse to listen! This is already the second time you’ve gotten into an accident. Have you completely forgotten about that time a few years ago when you dislocated your arm?! Why can’t you learn a single lesson? Sooner or rate, you’re going to play away your very life!”

The mother hurriedly held her husband back, coaxing him, “The child is already injured, say a few less words!”

“If I don’t speak up now, when am I supposed to speak?! By the time something truly catastrophic happens, everything will be too late.” The elder Zhang smacked a document resting in his hand straight onto the hospital bed, his tone leaving absolutely no room for negotiation. “Sign this for me, you don’t need to worry about any of the remaining matters.”

Zhang Xingkuo’s gaze swept across the characters reading “Termination Contract” stamped on the document. Harboring absolutely no interest in reading further, he tossed it straight back to the foot of the bed. “Impossible.”

“You must sign it!” The elder Zhang spoke in a harsh, severe voice. “I have already indulged your playing for so many years; it’s about time you do something proper with your life. If you still consider me your father, sign it for me.”

“Playing?” Zhang Xingkuo let out a mocking chuckle, simply sweeping the contract straight into the trash can. “Even up until now, you still think I am just playing around? At the very beginning, you were dissatisfied in every possible way. I endured it, thinking it was because I hadn’t achieved results significant enough to convince you. But right now, I am already a globally renowned champion! When will you ever look at my hard work and honors with a straight gaze? Is my dream truly that worthless in your eyes?”

Zhang Xingkuo’s eyes turned entirely bloodshot as he glared at his own father with burning resentment. “Sometimes, I would rather I had never been born into the Zhang family, never had you as my—”

“Shut your mouth, Zhang Xingkuo!”

This single shout acted exactly like a bucket of ice water, instantly cooling Zhang Xingkuo’s roaring, hot-tempered brain. He choked back his voice. Meeting his father’s look of sheer disbelief, he rapidly averted his gaze, turning his head away as his hands clenched tightly into fists.

The room fell into a suffocating silence. The elder Zhang stood rigid for a long spell. Ultimately, without uttering another word, he spun around and left the room in a fit of absolute fury.

The mother’s eyes turned red with anxiety. Wanting to chase after her husband, she also remained worried about her son.

Seeing this, Yu Xi stepped forward to intervene. “Auntie, go ahead and comfort Uncle. Xingxing’s injuries aren’t of major concern, we will take care of him here.”

Sheng Yunjuan and Sheng Yunshu nodded along in agreement.

“Okay, okay… I’ll leave Xingxing in your hands, I’ll come back in a bit.” The mother stole one final glance at Zhang Xingkuo, letting out a heavy sigh before exiting the room as well.

Once the door to the room clicked shut once more, Yu Xi lowered his gaze to look at the brooding, silent Zhang Xingkuo. “Xingxing, you shouldn’t have spoken that way just now.”

Zhang Xingkuo remained entirely defiant. “Did you not see the way he was acting? He always says I am self-righteous and completely unreasonable, but in truth, he is the one who is!”

Yu Xi sat down by the edge of the bed, speaking calmly, “You have your own faults in this as well.”

Zhang Xingkuo turned his head around, this time looking genuinely aggrieved. “You said you would always stand on my side, why are you questioning me too?”

“I am not questioning you.” Yu Xi softened his voice. “I have no intention of standing on your father’s side, but Xingxing, even if you are incredibly angry, you cannot say those kinds of words.”

Yu Xi caught hold of Zhang Xingkuo’s still tightly clenched fist. “You said it in the heat of the moment, but once you calm down, you will definitely regret it. Once certain wounds are inflicted, they are completely irreversible.”

Underneath the softness and warmth of Yu Xi’s palm, Zhang Xingkuo’s hands gradually relaxed, his underlying attitude softening along with them.

“I understand. I’m sorry.”

Yu Xi offered a small smile. “The person you need to apologize to isn’t me.”

Zhang Xingkuo puckered his lips. “He probably won’t want to see this unfilial son of his for ten days or half a month. I think I can save myself the trouble of this apology.”

“What if he returns right now?” Sheng Yunshu inquired.

Zhang Xingkuo stated with absolute certainty, “Impossible.”

“Tsk, tsk.” Sheng Yunjuan shook her head. “Xiao Xi, you shouldn’t waste your breath trying to persuade him. His temper is exactly like a stubborn donkey; you simply can’t reason with him. Getting him to admit his mistakes is completely out of the question. He is just this kind of person, entirely beyond saving.”

Yu Xi lowered his head to look at Zhang Xingkuo.

Spurred on by the provocation, Zhang Xingkuo barked out, “If he comes back, I’ll apologize to him straight away! I am a man of my word!”

“Excellent, you said it yourself,” Sheng Yunshu remarked, walking out of the room with her phone in hand.

Fifteen minutes later, a commotion arose at the entrance of the ward.

“Don’t pull at me, I can walk on my own!” It was the elder Zhang’s voice.

The mother urged him on, “Then walk a bit faster! You’re already at this age yet you’re still so slow and dragging your feet, can you show some decency?”

The door to the ward hadn’t been shut completely tight, allowing the voices of the two individuals to leak inside, clear as day to the occupants within.

Yu Xi secretly smiled, glancing over at Zhang Xingkuo, whose expression had turned incredibly complex.

Completely oblivious, the elder Zhang assumed his previous dignified and majestic posture the moment he pushed the door open. Lifting his chin, he refused to look directly at Zhang Xingkuo. “Your mother said you have something to say to me. Have you changed your mind?”

Zhang Xingkuo immediately rolled his eyes in response. “What kind of dream are you dreaming? It is impossible for me to terminate my contract with the racing team.”

“You!” Before the elder Zhang could erupt into another fury, he was struck completely dumb by the words that followed.

“I’m sorry.”

The three words sounded as though they were forcefully squeezed out from between Zhang Xingkuo’s teeth—utterly reluctant and incredibly awkward.

The elder Zhang’s roaring flame was instantly snuffed clean out right in the middle, staring at Zhang Xingkuo in complete disbelief. “What did you say just now?”

“Tsk, are your ears—” The word “deaf” almost slipped past Zhang Xingkuo’s lips, cut short solely because his arm was gently nudged by Yu Xi. His face flushed bright red from the restraint. Ultimately, he could only grind his teeth as he re-uttered forcefully, “I said, I’M! SORRY! Did you hear it clearly now? I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I said the wrong words earlier! Is that enough?! Now take care and I won’t see you out!”

With that finished, Zhang Xingkuo yanked the blanket up, covering himself entirely from view, refusing to see anyone.

Inside the ward, let alone the elder Zhang, even the mother remained frozen in sheer astonishment for a long spell.

“He…” The mother looked toward Yu Xi.

Yu Xi smiled and nodded, walking over as he spoke in a soft voice, “Auntie, Uncle, you two should go back first. Xingxing probably prefers to have some quiet time right now. It won’t be too late for you to come visit him again this evening.”

The mother snapped back to reality, her face blossoming into a wide smile. “Good, good, good, I’ll bring some dinner over tonight.”

Following that, the mother yanked at her husband. “Your soul has returned, let’s go. Weren’t you right in the middle of a company meeting when you rushed over halfway? Hurry back right now.”

Sheng Yunjuan and Sheng Yunshu went along to see them off.

Once the ward had fallen completely silent, Yu Xi walked back to the edge of the bed, patting the blanket. “They have all left.”

The blanket remained entirely motionless.

Yu Xi lifted a corner of the blanket, bending his waist as he looked at the red-faced individual inside with a beaming smile. “So you actually know how to feel embarrassed.”

“Who is embarrassed? I just feel like I lost face, alright?” Zhang Xingkuo yanked the blanket aside and sat up. “If it weren’t because of you, I would never have apologized to that old fossil.”

“How is that losing face?” Yu Xi patted the top of Zhang Xingkuo’s head. “Our Xingxing corrects his mistakes once he knows them, you did exceptionally well.”

Zhang Xingkuo puckered his lips. “Why are you coaxing me like I’m Bayue?”

“I’m not,” Yu Xi replied, his eyes brimming with laughter.

This trace of amusement, however, provoked a wave of irritation within Zhang Xingkuo. Catching Yu Xi completely off guard, he forcefully yanked the youth down.

Yu Xi’s upper body collapsed flush against Zhang Xingkuo’s lap. Before he could prop his frame back up, his waist was tightly pinned down, preventing him from rising. He could only let out a helpless laugh, “Xingxing, stop messing around, be careful not to aggravate your injuries.”

In the next second, the smile at the corners of his lips froze entirely as Zhang Xingkuo suddenly arched his frame closer, the mirth transitioning into sheer panic.

It was too close—close to the point where their nose tips would collide at the slightest movement, along with their lips.

Meanwhile, the gaze Zhang Xingkuo used to lock onto him resembled a wild beast, brimming with sheer aggression and a certain raw hunger.

“I am not as easy to coax as Bayue, and my appetite is far larger than his as well.” Zhang Xingkuo tightly locked onto Yu Xi’s gaze. “You have to give me a better and far greater reward for it to count.”

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